Chapter 2: Giant Strides

It was a while before Brians moan came to a stop. He opened his eyes and looked at Danny. ‘I have never ever felt anything like that,’ he said with a face splitting smile, ‘It was lovely.’ Danny smiled back and got up.

When he returned from the kitchen, Danny mopped his chest with a big load of paper towels. Then washed and dried his chest. Brian just lay still watching with a contented smile on his face. Then when Danny picked his cock up, Brian drew his breath in and gave a happy whimper.

Danny slid his foreskin back and wiped his tip. After watching it disappear again, he laid it down in the opposite direction, in between Brians legs. ‘Get dressed now,’ Danny instructed, ‘I’ll go and put the kettle on.’

He was just putting the cups of coffee on the table as Brian came through. ‘What a night,’ he said, ‘I’ll never forget it.’ As they sat drinking their coffees Danny told him, ‘Just remember that you did not kill Keto, you had no idea that that was likely to happen, and you couldn’t have stopped it anyway.’

‘It’s more than likely that if you hadn’t been there, it would have happened just the same. It’s thanks to you that his parents have his body back and know where he is. There’s nothing you can do now to change the past.’

‘But you have already changed your future. Put the past behind you now and move forward. You owe that to Janet and Jacob.’ Brians eyes filled up with tears. ‘Thank you so much.’ he said. They finished their coffees and headed for the front door.

At the door they had a last hug. As he held Danny very tight, Brian said in his ear, ‘Apart from my family, I’ve never ever said this to another man in my life, I love you so much.’ Danny kissed him and told him, ‘That’s a lovely thing to say.’

He watched him walk off down the drive and felt so pleased that it had all worked out so well.

LEWIS - VIDEO SHOP - SATURDAY

Lewis arrived at the shop at quarter to nine, just as Mike was opening up. They went through to the back room and had their usual hug and kiss before opening up. ‘I’m going to miss you.’ Mike told him referring to Lewis and Ella going off to university in a couple of months.

That called for another hug and a long kiss before they went through to the shop for the usual busy morning. Just as Lewis was heading for the door to go to the chippy to get their lunches, Kaye came in. She waved to Mike and spoke to Lewis.

‘I have some news and a customer for you,’ she said. ‘I was just going to the chippy to get our lunches,’ Lewis told her, ‘Would you like to join us?’ ‘Yes please.’ Kaye said and volunteered to go herself. Lewis gave her the list and some cash.

Returning behind the counter to serve, he told Mike, ‘Guest for lunch.’ ‘She looks very happy this time.’ he said. As the last customer was leaving, Kaye returned with their lunches. They were soon all sitting around the table in the back room.

As they tucked into their food, Kaye told them that Arnold had reached his target weight and had recently had his fifteenth birthday. ‘We go out walking together most weekends now.’ she told them. ‘What did he do for his birthday?’ Lewis asked.

‘On the day, we went out for a meal with his mum and dad. Then the following weekend we went to London. Neither of us had ever flown before, so we flew to London on the Friday and returned on the Sunday.’

‘She told them about the sights and the shows they had seen. ‘Where did you stay?’ Mike asked. ‘In a hotel right by Tower Bridge,’ Kaye told him. Lewis noticed a slight smile cross her face as she mentioned it. ‘I guess the two of you are still getting on well together then?’ he asked.

‘Yes, definitely.’ she answered giving him a very happy smile. Lewis smiled back, gave her a wink and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Kaye looked him straight in the face and said, ‘Yes we’ve grown very close.’ Putting a slight stress on the very. ‘That’s lovely to hear.’ Lewis told her.

‘How’s his mum and dad?’ ‘They’re fine,’ Kaye assured him. ‘Arnold and I often do a weekend walk, stopping over on a Saturday night. So, they have got into the habit of going away on weekends together too. ‘They’re very happy together.’ She said giving him another smile.

‘We took a week’s holiday and walked the whole length of the Llangollen canal recently. They helped us with the accommodation costs.’ They chatted a bit more then Kaye said, ‘I wanted to update you anyway, but there’s another reason I came today.’

‘I’ve left school now and I’m working. A girl at work that I’ve got friendly with, is usually such a jolly soul. But these last two weeks she has seemed really down. I tried to find out what was up, but she wouldn’t tell me. ‘I feel bad not telling you,’ Anette told me, ‘But I just can’t tell anyone about it.’

‘So, I told her that I had once had a problem like that, and I had felt exactly the same about it.’ ‘What did you do?’ she asked. ‘I went and saw Lewis,’ I told her. ‘Someone had told me about him, just like I’m telling you now.’

‘Here’s his number.’ I told her. ‘Go and see him, he’s very easy to talk to and he’ll sort it out for you. Not only that, but he won’t tell anyone anything you tell him. If you do go, he won’t even tell me you’ve been to see him. Although I’ll probably guess, because you’ll suddenly be your old self again.’

‘She seemed reluctant, especially with you being a man. When I told her that if she came and met you, you wouldn’t ask her anything about her problem until she felt relaxed enough to do so, she seemed more interested. I told her that if she didn’t feel relaxed enough, she could just get up and walk out without having to explain why.’

‘Wouldn’t that be a bit rude?’ she said. ‘It’s ok,’ I told her, ‘Lewis understands all the difficulties, I’m sure he’d be disappointed, but that would be concern for you not him. He’d just tell you to come back in the future if you wanted to try again.’

She seemed to be liking the idea, but I got the impression that she was finding the idea of contacting a stranger difficult. ‘Would you like me to contact him for you and ask when he could see you?’ I asked. I explained about the shop and Saturday afternoons at five.

‘She liked that idea and said, ‘Yes please.’ ‘I’ll pop in and see him at lunchtime on Saturday,’ I told her, ‘I’ve been meaning to call in and tell him how I am, so I’ll ask him then. He gets booked up very quickly,’ I said, ‘But if by any chance he’s free this Saturday, can you manage that?’

‘Yes, it would be good to feel I was actually doing something about it.’ she told me. ‘Even if you go and don’t stop,’ I told her, ‘At least you’ll have met him and you won’t be meeting a stranger when you go back.’ ‘What makes you think I’d go back?’ she asked.

‘I can’t imagine anyone not liking him and leaving in the first place,’ I said, ‘But if you did leave, I’m sure you’d soon realise you were wasting a brilliant opportunity and go back.’ ‘Her name is Anette and she’s nineteen.’ Kaye told him.

‘I’ll text her and tell her.’ Kaye sent her text, then Mike asked if she had any more trips planned. ‘We’ve nothing planned, but we have already walked a section of the Pennine Way,’ she told them, ‘We’d like to do some more of that.’

Then her phone pinged. ‘Tell Lewis ‘Thank You’ and I’ll be there at five to five.’ was the text back from Anette. After hugs all round Kaye left. ‘Good luck with the Pennine Way,’ Mike called after her, ‘Rather you than me.’

As Kaye hugged Lewis she had whispered in his ear, ‘Yes we have, London.’ After Kaye had gone, Mike said, ‘Over the years you’ve helped a lot of very nice people. But I get a very strange feeling on the occasions that I get to be present when someone returns to see you.’

‘Like with Kaye today.’ ‘How do you mean?’ Lewis asked. ‘I just get the strange feeling that whilst we are all having what seems like a perfectly normal conversation to me, there is other information passing between you that I can’t hear.’

‘Really?’ Lewis said, ‘That is strange.’ They opened the shop and as usual had a hectic afternoon. Just before five to five a nervous looking lady came in and stood by the door. Lewis had been keeping an eye open for her, so he gave her a wave.